Interesting.

Will the customer satisfaction rates kick in at pre-determined feedback levels? I've seen loads of sellers with 98% positive feedback on 15 or less transactions, and a lot with 95% pos. and over 1000 items sold. Who you gonna trust more there? Sellers do their bit, pack it and send once buyer pays, feedback time. Buyer leaves feedback once item arrives. Sellers shouldnt have to wait for buyers to leave feedback to avoid the negative thing. Some of it is just people using the anonymity of ebay to get all snarky and put a black mark against some poor seller cause they didnt like the box they used.

I'd guess many problems relating to shipping come via international transactions. I have bought a few items from US and Hong Kong, always at rock bottom price, with big postage. But, I should point out, postage I checked first and was prepared to pay. Sure, the item costs you $6, but the shipping cost you 3x that, and I'll bet its not costing that much to actually send. The old days of companies charging "postage and handling" are gone I'm afraid, and with ebay the p&h is having its grave trodden on.

I think the opposite of what some people have said may be true, and that many buyers see ebay as a place amateurs make cash on the side, so why should you pay for someone's time in 'handling'?

Jim